With the legalization of recreational marijuana, the number of people who have used it or tried it has increased. However, these individuals should know that driving while high is just as illegal as drunk driving. It may be possible to buy marijuana just like you would buy alcohol, but you can’t consume either one and then get in the car.
But what if someone was using marijuana in the evening, they went to bed, and then they got up the next day for work? Could that person still be high? Could they still cause a car accident because they’re impaired, even though they technically hadn’t used any marijuana that day?
As with alcohol, it depends on how long you were asleep
Marijuana only affects you for a certain amount of time, just like alcohol. So whether or not you’re still high likely depends on how long you were asleep, just the way that someone who consumed alcohol the night before could still be intoxicated when they woke up. If you took an edible that lasted for four hours and you only slept for a few hours before getting back, you could still be high.
Even if you waited a full eight hours, there is a chance that marijuana use could impact you through what is known as a weed hangover. This can lead to things like brain fog and fatigue, which may make a crash more likely.
What if a high driver injures you?
You may take the proper steps to avoid driving whenever you’re impaired, but other drivers may not. If someone has been using and they injure you in a crash, you need to know exactly what legal options you have to recover your losses.
